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Bernie Ecclestone: “The Americas are probably big enough to have five or six grands prix. We’re trying to get something sorted out in New Jersey/New York, we’ve had a lot of requests. Maybe we can do something in LA (Los Angeles) in the future.”

“I think first of all the left hand side of the grid will be a joke; you want to be on the right hand side if you can. So on pole, third or fifth, something like that. That’ll be the first thing and then I think the first corner is a bit like La Source at Spa.”

“The important thing is to score 11 more points than [Sebastian Vettel] in these [final] two races. We are still convinced we can do it. But we are not surprised when they are first and second in practice and qualifying.”

“Q: I was talking to Mr Ecclestone yesterday asking about the Mexican Grand Prix and he said that it’s hard because Texas has set a new standard. He said that no other country can run a Grand Prix if it has a facility that is less than this one that we see here in Texas. According to the world economic climate I would disagree but I would like to have your opinion on that.
Martin Whitmarsh: Well, I think you’ve just got to ask the same question this time next week!”

“He envisions a race day crowd as big as 250,000, and he thinks arrangements can be made to get a Mexico location on the 2014 Formula One calendar. Getting on the Formula One racing circuit isn?óÔé¼Ôäót easy because there are always cities competing to be chosen and there are big financial hurdles to clear.”

Jeff Pappone: “Most US fans will probably switch off the U.S. Grand Prix an hour into the proceedings on Sunday when the Cup finale gets underway at 3pm ?óÔé¼ÔÇ£ and that?óÔé¼Ôäós only if they bother to tune into the F1 race at all.”

David Coulthard: “Everyone out here is getting pretty excited as the weekend approaches; downtown Austin is buzzing, the team?óÔé¼Ôäós hospitality units are groaning and the marketing men are salivating almost as much as the drivers. I can see why: the Circuit of the Americas looks mouth-watering.”

Damon Hill: “Adrian Newey [designer] will say it’s not just him; it’s his team. But it is hugely him. And you have to say that Christian Horner [team principal] has put this whole thing together and motivated the team and chosen Adrian and the other people, including the drivers. So Christian, too, must go down as a very key player in this and the whole Red Bull success.”

“Beckham moved here for his career, I?óÔé¼Ôäód just be moving for the weather and the lifestyle. It?óÔé¼Ôäós so nice. The cars are all big, the roads are big. It?óÔé¼Ôäós just a nice, relaxed lifestyle.”

Tweets

Brilliant Friday attendance figure of 65,000 at @circuitamericas. That’s 15,000 more than the capacity of Yas Marina… #F1

Comment of the day

@RBAlonso was one of several readers unhappy with the change in the DRS rules.

DRS should remain as it is or ban it.

In qualifying the driver should be on maximum attack and given full use of his equipment. In the race it should be limited for obvious reasons. But to limit it partially on grounds of safety is a nonsense. It is an optional tool to save lap time. If you feel you can not use it then don?óÔé¼Ôäót.

To say it is dangerous on an empty track means it is unsafe. But to limit it to a point where opening it is no challenge means that it is purely a push-to-pass system. This concerns me. Far better would be to use it only in races which have problems overtaking.

But in reality, every fan sneers at a DRS pass. I had hoped that we had learned from the start of the season, that tyres are the way to go to improve racing, and ditch this concept completely.@RBAlonso

@eastman – I actually find the last part rather offensive: calling the drivers in lesser cars “****” is completely unjust, especially in reference to Ricciardo. Sure, the rest of them aren’t showing much promise but I could guarantee they are much faster than the person who wrote the article (who comes across to me as a bit of an idiot).

@davef1 – I understand it is a joke article for non F1 fans (as is highlighted by me not mentioning anything about the author’s fondness for RÃ¤ikkÃ¶nen who is drunk frequently!) or Grosjean and Maldonado being the first-corner calamities, but calling driver’s **** for having slow cars is quite offensive in my opinion!

Just reading that article on the Sochi GP circuit and it’s a little disconcerting that Tilke designed and built 9 of our current circuits. I’m not bashing Tilke at all, I like his circuits and I understand that he is one of a few who can work comfortably within the FIA’s regulations but what does bother me is the sheer lack of anybody putting up some competition to him. I don’t wanna think F1 circuit design is a closed book. What about Populous? They did a good job at Silverstone. Would they be interested in giving it a go?

Maybe the stories just didn’t mention him, but it could be that other circuit designers are beginning to get a look-in. Sochi’s been planned for years now (and delayed at least once) so it’s not the very latest proposal.

I hope the hairpins give us some decent racing tomorrow – that’ll encourage designers to put more of them in at street circuits (such as the LA idea), instead of the stupid chicanes at Valencia, Singapore and Abu Dhabi.

Never mind about more Grand Prix’s in USA! You want it to be a World Championship, but it isn’t, why you may ask! Well How able including the whole world, continent . Africa is the only place where there is now Grand Prix, apart from Kyalami, there is a proposed track layout for Cape Town, but we keep hearing promises of a future GP but no results. You know from the past, that the F1 has a huge following here. It’s well over due! We want one and soon!!!!!